ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY CARRIER WITH BUILT-IN SHUNT
A carrier (220) for insertion of a device under test (210) into a tester (110) includes engagement structures (226, 234) and an integrated activator (236). The engagement structures (226, 234) are shaped to engage and hold the device under test (210) in the carrier (220) for insertion in tester (110). The activator (236) is positioned to automatically contact and activate a configuration component on the device under test (210). The activator (236) may particularly include a shunt positioned to electrically contact and short together configuration pins (216). The shorting or other activation sets an operating mode of the device under test (210) during testing.
Devices being manufactured commonly require testing to prove the devices are working properly before the devices may be sold. Manufactures commonly test devices in bulk in dedicated test systems that may be able to test many devices at the same time. Testing of a batch of electronic assemblies such as printed circuit assemblies, for example, often includes installing one or more electronic assemblies into one or more carriers to create modules that are easily plugged into or removed from the test equipment. Testing may be complex for electronic assemblies that operate in different modes, particularly if the modes are selected through configuration of jumpers, switches, or similar manually installed or operated features. In such cases, testing of each electronic assembly during manufacture may require a tester to correctly set switches or jumpers for a test mode of the assembly or to set and reset the switches and jumpers for testing all operating modes of the assembly. The setting jumpers or switches for testing takes time and creates a risk that a jumper or switch could be set incorrectly during all or a portion of a test. Also, an assembly set to operate in a test mode for a test or diagnostic procedure needs to be switched back to a normal operational mode after the test or diagnostic procedure is complete. A failure to reset a device to an operational mode can result in a product that may be unready for sale or consumer use.
The drawings illustrate examples for the purpose of explanation and are not of the invention itself. Use of the same reference symbols in different figures indicates similar or identical items.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONIn accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a carrier for an electronic assembly automatically configures the assembly to operate in a specific mode, e.g., a test mode, while the assembly is attached to the carrier and automatically returns the assembly to a unconfigured state when the assembly is removed from the carrier. In one example, the carrier includes a retainer that engages with an assembly, i.e., a device under test, to hold the assembly as part of a module suitable for insertion into a tester, and the retainer may include an activator such as a shunt that automatically contacts a configuration component of the assembly to set the assembly in a test mode while the carrier engages and holds the assembly.
Primary functions of a carrier are to protect a product during handling and to provide a compatible structure for insertion and removal the product in a test system. Conventionally, jumpers or switches on the product may need to be set to control the behavior of the product during testing or normal use, and conventional setting of the jumpers and switches is unrelated to and independent of whether the product is held in a carrier. A unique feature disclosed herein is the integration of one or more shunts in a carrier, so that mounting of an electronic assembly in the carrier automatically positions the shunt(s) to interact with a header of the electronic assembly and set the operating mode of the electronic assembly for testing.
In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a carrier for insertion of a device under test into a test system includes engagement structures with an integrated activator such as a shunt. The engagement structures may be shaped to engage and hold the device under test in the carrier for insertion in a test system. The activator is integrated into the carrier and positioned to contact and activate a configuration component on the device under test, thereby setting an operating mode of the device under test during testing.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, a carrier for a device under test includes a spine, an end fitting attached to the spine, and a retention clip mounted on the spine. The end fitting may include an engagement feature shaped to engage one portion of the device under test. The retention clip may be slide mounted on the spine and may include an engagement feature shaped to engage another portion of the device under test so that that carrier holds the device under test between the retention clip and the end fitting. The carrier further has an integrated activator such as shunt, e.g., on the end fitting or retention clip, at a position causing the activator to contact and activate a configuration component on the device under test when the carrier is engaged with the device under test.
A product such as an electronic assembly may operate under different modes for different applications or uses of the product or at different times during the life cycle of the product. During manufacturing, for example, the product may need to operate in a test mode so that all functions of the product may be tested in a test system. During customer use, the product may operate in one or more different normal operational modes. During troubleshooting, a defective or malfunctioning product may need to operate in the test mode or a diagnostic mode when the product undergoes analysis. Systems and methods disclosed herein may employ a carrier that holds or mounts a product such as an electronic assembly for testing and automatically configures a product for the proper testing mode without the need to attach a jumper or configure a switch. The product automatically returns to a normal operational mode when removed from the carrier.
Each electronic assembly 210 is mounted in a carrier 220 for testing, and the combination of electronic assembly 210 and carrier 220 forms test module 120. For bulk testing as shown in
Tester 110 may be a specialized test system that includes a large number or connectors 116 for testing many electronic assemblies 210. Tester 110 may test multiple assemblies 210 in parallel (simultaneously) or test connected assemblies 210 sequentially during a single test procedure. In the illustrated example, tester 110 includes a chassis 118 containing a motherboard 114, and motherboard 114 has connectors 116, e.g., sockets or slots, capable of accepting respective test modules 120 and 120A to 120Z. (
End fittings 223 and 224 include guide features 225 that are shaped to engage complementary guide features 113 on the tester 110, e.g., so that the carrier 220 in a test module 120 automatically positions and aligns contacts 218 of electronic assembly 210 to plug into a connector 116 in tester 110 as guide features 225 slide in guide features 113 of tester 110. Guide features 225 may, for example, be rectangular or slightly tapered (trapezoidal) pads sized to slide into tracks 113 in frame 112 of tester 110.
Injector/ejector features 228 on end fittings 223 and 224 may engage features of tester 110, e.g., when contacts 218 begin to engage a connector 116. In the example shown in
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure shown in
A process for mounting electronic assembly 210 in carrier 220, in one example of the present disclosure, includes engaging feature 212 of electronic assembly 210 with product retention feature 226 of end fitting 223 while main spine 222 extends along a length of electronic assembly 210, placing projection 232 in the track in main spine 222, and sliding retention clip 230 along main spine 222 until product retention feature 234 of retention clip 230 mechanically engages and holds feature 214 of electronic assembly 210 illustrated in
In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, retention clip 230 includes an integrated activator 236 positioned to contact or engage a configuration component on electronic assembly 210 when retention feature 234 contacts electronic assembly 210, and retention clip 230 thereby automatically activates the configuration component and configures the operating mode of electronic assembly 210 for testing. Activator 236 in one example is a shunt, which may be a compliant conductive structure that electrically shorts a gap between configuration pins 216 on electronic assembly 210. In one example, retention clip 230 includes a rigid, insolating member 238 made of plastic or a metal with an insulating coating, and activator or shunt 236 includes a compliant, conductive member attached to rigid member 238 with a fastener or adhesive. A compliant shunt 236 could be constructed using a piece of thin metal formed into a leaf spring or using a foam block wrapped in electrically conductive fabric.
In an alternative example, a retention clip may be shaped to contact and depress or activate a bottom or switch that may be provided on an electronic assembly. In this case for carrier 220, activator 236 may not require a shunt, and activator 236 at the end of rigid member 238 may be shaped according to the location and shape of one or more configuration switches or buttons that need to be set to control the operating mode of electronic assembly 210.
Removal of electronic assembly 210 from the carrier 220 automatically removes activator 236 from electronic assembly 210, e.g., removes the shunt from the header pins 216 or removes pressure from configuration switches or buttons, so that electronic assembly 210 defaults back to a normal operating mode when testing is complete. A worker is not needed to separately set a jumper or switch to return electronic assembly 210 to the default operating mode. Accordingly, manufacturing failures where electronic assemblies 210 are unintentionally left in a test mode after testing may be automatically avoided.
Although example implementations have been disclosed to illustrate aspects of the present disclosure, these implementations are only examples and should not be taken as limitations. Other implementations of the disclosed examples may be employed. For example, although the illustrated configuration employs a shunt or shunts on a retention clip with a slide mounting, an alternative configuration may employ a shunt fixed on a structure such as an end fitting that is fixed relative to the main spine of the carrier. Various other adaptations and combinations of features of the implementations disclosed are within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A carrier for insertion of a device under test into a tester, the carrier comprising:
- a first engagement structure and a second engagement structure shaped to engage and hold the device under test in the carrier; and
- a shunt integrated into the carrier and positioned to electrically contact and short together pins on the device under test, the pins being shorted setting an operating mode of the device under test.
2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein:
- the first engagement structure comprises a first end fitting and a spine extending from the end fitting, the end fitting including a first engagement feature shaped to engage a first portion of the device under test; and
- the second engagement structure comprises a retention clip with a slide mount on the spine, the retention clip including:
- a second engagement feature shaped to engage a second portion of the device under test; and
- the shunt, the shunt being positioned on the retention clip to contact and short the pins on the device under test when the second engagement feature is engaged with the device under test.
3. The carrier of claim 2, wherein the retention clip comprises a rigid member with a projection shaped to engage a track on the spine.
4. The carrier of claim 3, wherein:
- the shunt is mounted on the retention clip;
- the retention clip electrically insulates the shut from the spine; and
- the retention clip extends is shaped to position the shunt to contact the pins on the device under test when the second engagement feature is engaged with the device under test.
5. The carrier of claim 2, wherein the first engagement structure further comprises a second end fitting on a side of the spine opposite from the first end fitting.
6. The carrier of claim 5, where the first end fitting and the second end fitting comprise respective guide features shaped to couple with respective tracks in the tester, the guide features coupling with the tracks aligning contacts on the device under test with an electrical connector of the tester.
7. The carrier of claim 5, where each of the first end fitting and the second end fitting comprises a fulcrum and a lever that pivots on the fulcrum, each of the levers including a feature shaped to engage the tester and provide a mechanical advantage when the device under test is being inserted into or removed from the tester.
8. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the device under test comprises a printed circuit board with contacts shape for insertion into a slot in a computer.
9. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the device under test is selected from a group consisting of a PCI card, a disk drive, a solid-state storage device, a storage processing unit, a printed circuit board with a blind-mate connector or contact shapes that is part of a larger assembly that functions as a pluggable module, and a device or subassembly of a device with a blind-mate connector and configurable jumpers that are used during testing of the device.
10. A carrier comprising:
- a spine;
- a first fitting attached to the spine, the fitting including a first engagement feature shaped to engage a first portion of a device under test; and
- a retention clip with a slide mount on the spine, the retention clip including:
- a second engagement feature shaped to engage a second portion of the device under test to hold the device under test between the retention clip and the fitting; and
- an activator positioned on the retention clip to contact and activate a configuration component on the device under test when the second engagement feature is engaged with the second portion of the device under test.
11. The carrier of claim 10, further comprising a second fitting attached to the spine, wherein the first and the second fitting are shaped to engage a tester during testing of the device under test.
12. The carrier of claim 11, wherein each of the first fitting and the second fitting comprises a guide feature shaped to engage respective tracks in the tester to thereby align the device under test for electrical connection to a connector in the tester.
13. The carrier of claim 10, wherein the activator comprises a shunt and the configuration component comprises pins that the shunt contacts and shorts together to thereby configure the device under test for testing.
14. A method comprising:
- engaging a first portion of a device under test with a first engagement feature on a carrier;
- moving a retention clip on the carrier until a second engagement feature on the carrier engages a second portion of the device under test and a shunt on the carrier contacts and shorts together configuration pins on the device under test;
- installing a module including the carrier and the device under test in a tester; and
- operating the tester to test the device under test while the shunt shorts together the configuration pins.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein moving the retention clip comprises sliding the retention clip along a track that extends toward the first engagement feature.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein shorting together the configuration pins together places the device under test into a test mode in which the device under test operates while the tester tests the device under test.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising after the tester tests the device under test, removing the device under test from the carrier, wherein removing the device removes the shunt from contact with the configuration pins thereby placing switching the device under test out of the test mode.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 22, 2021
Publication Date: Aug 10, 2023
Inventors: EUGENE YAN KI HSUE (San Ramon, CA), SAHBA ETAATI (Los Altos, CA)
Application Number: 18/012,608